The Charge of the Light Brigade

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1854

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Themes

Bravery in the Face of Certain Death

One of the major themes of Tennyson’s poem is the idea of bravery in the face of certain death. Many Britons were struck by the news reports of the events at Balaclava and the miscommunication that sent so many men into battle. Yet, they were also in awe of the idea that the unprepared men fought “boldly […] and well” (Line 23), rising to the occasion. The emphasis on the soldiers’ courage begins with the urgency of the first lines as the brigade rides “[h]alf a league, half a league, / [h]alf a league onward” (Lines 1-2), drawing nearer to the valley. They push aside hesitation and do not question their commander or duty, even though the charge seems to lead them into “the valley of Death” (Lines 7, 16).

Even had they known “someone […] blundered” (Line 12) the order, they wouldn’t have protested, the speaker suggests. This would have been part of their military training and British stoicism. They would “do” (Line 15), even though it means they will “die” (Line 15). Despite going into the “jaws of Death,” the brigade acts as if it will make a difference, “[c]harging [the] army” (Line 30). They “plung[e]” (Line 32) forward to wield their weapons, facing cannon fire and “gunners” (Line 29), which are much more destructive than the “sabres” (Line 27) with which the brigade is equipped. They do their best to break “the line” (Line 33) and manage to scatter the “Cossack[s] and Russian[s]” (Line 34).

This is particularly brave considering the consequences: “Horse and hero [fall]” (Line 44) under “shot and shell” (Line 43), and a significant number of the brigade are killed and wounded. Still, the speaker stands in awe of their bravery, noting how “all the world wondered” (Lines 31, 52) at their ability to engage in what could only be a futile action. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” embodies the idea that courage is the action of doing something that frightens one for the sake of something more important. The brigade saw what would happen to them yet proceeded anyway, doing their duty as soldiers. The speaker implores the audience to “honour” (Lines 53, 54), those men “who fought so well” (Line 45) under duress. Their action, their willingness to “do and die” (Line 15), the speaker insists, makes them noteworthy for their “nobl[eness]” (Line 55).

The Needless Loss of Life

As much as “The Charge of the Light Brigade” can be looked at as a lauding of brave military duty, it can be seen, too, as a poem about the cost of war. The speaker’s acknowledgement that “someone had blundered” (Line 12), causing needless loss of life at Balaclava, is essential. The actions of the Light Brigade would not have occurred in a circumstance without error. The death and injury of nearly 300 men could’ve been prevented. The horror of the unnecessary maneuver is brought out in several notations the speaker makes after the issued command, “Forward, the Light Brigade / Charge for the guns!” (Lines 5-6).

Even though this is an error, and surveying the situation would indicate it, the men behave as they have been trained. If “a man [was] dismayed” (Line 10) by the orders, the speaker indicates, he does not come forward. The brigade moves as a group, and the speaker shows this extends to their thought process as well: “Theirs not to make reply. / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die” (Lines 13-15). These lines embody a collective mantra that the speaker seems to indicate is, indeed, worthy of dismay. Surely, someone should have pointed out how overwhelmed they would be and stopped the charge.

The brutality of the enemy’s weapons helps the audience question the validity of the commander’s orders on that day. The “sabres” (Line 27) the British brigade was equipped with were met with musketry and cannon fire from three sides. The intensity of the sound from “shot and shell” (Lines 22, 43), which “volley[s] and thunder[s]” (Lines 21, 42) underscores, makes it clear how much cannon fire there is. While the desperate “flash[ing of] all their sabres” (Line 27) caused definite damage to the Russian line, it was no wonder there were so many British casualties. That the result was catastrophic is emphasized by the repeated description of the battlefield being equivalent to “the mouth of hell” (Lines 25, 47) as the valley was littered with bodies. And while the speaker is on the British side of the battle, he uses the same type of language to clarify the chaos and damage upon the Russians, who are “shattered and sundered” (Line 36). Repeating these violent images in the next stanza but changing the refrain to show what is “left of [the six hundred]” (Line 49) shows the final brutal cost of war.

Although the speaker suggests “all the world wondered” (Line 52) at the charge, as if in awe, this is not the image that sticks with the audience. Rather, it is the “valley of Death” (Lines 3, 7, 16) and the senseless loss of life despite the brigade “boldly” (Line 23) going forward and fighting “so well” (Line 45). What is “left of them” (Lines 48-49) is far less than “glor[ious]” (Line 50) and more poignant than waste.

Commemoration of the Dead

In the Epilogue of Tennyson’s 1885 poem “The Charge of the Heavy Brigade,” the character of Irene questions the Poet about commemorating military battles (See: Related Poems). She chides him, “You praise when you should blame / The barbarism of wars” (Lines 102-03). The older poet responds that this isn’t true, as “who loves war for war’s own sake / Is fool, or crazed, or worse” (Lines 128-29). Still, he feels it “right to crown with song / The warrior’s noble deed– / […] so the deed endures” (Lines 134-37). It is possible that Tennyson applied this thought process to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” when he wrote it in 1854, especially considering the sentiment in its last lines.

Tennyson used poetry as commemoration throughout his life. When he was 24 and Arthur Henry Hallam died suddenly, Tennyson was beset with profound, debilitating grief. The way he dealt with it was by writing poetry, particularly those poems which became In Memoriam, the commemorative poem which secured his tenure as poet laureate. The only way he could deal with death was to make a song/poem of it. That this poem and its subject matter gained him the position of national poet may also explain his artistic approach to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in 1854.

Tennyson’s speaker approaches the events at Balaclava as something that must be put down for the sake of posterity. “Honor the charge they made! / Honor the Light Brigade” (Lines 53-54), he implores. In some ways the horror of the event—the deaths of hundreds of men because of a tactical error—is unfathomable. To navigate this, the speaker focuses on the deeds of the “noble six hundred” (Line 55), offering up the details of their attitude and actions to commemorate their sacrifice so that they are remembered.

To remember means to revisit the battle and dwell in the brigade’s place by noting their struggle. This explains the song-like musicality of the poem and its many verbatim refrains. The audience is not to forget and is given reminders continually within the poem. For example, the speaker suggests it bears repeating that the multiple cannon fire “volleyed and thundered” (Lines 21, 42), and the men were “stormed at with shot and shell” (Lines 22, 43) not once but twice. During the actual event, the men were fired at as they entered and left the Ukrainian valley.

The speaker uses the line “All the world wondered” (Lines 31, 52) to indicate multiple feelings regarding the event as well. People are in awe of the brigade’s bravery “charging an army” (Line 30), but they also must confront the colossal loss of life due to the commanders’ miscommunication. This, the speaker suggests, is what commemoration is: honoring a life but confronting the “jaws of Death” (Line 46) as well.